The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1885.

Inangahua Times, Volume X, Issue 1540, 27 April 1885, Page 2

The Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI- WEEKLY. MONDAY, APRIL 27, 1885.

For nearly forty-eight hours past Reefton has been in a fevor of excitement over the European situation. On Saturday night a minor gained currency tha* war had actually b ing rl»?clar«*l. and the news was passed round with bated breath. Until a late hour at night the office <>f this paper was besieged with inquirers, l>ut public feeling aularided somewhat when it was slated that n<» such intimation had been received by wire. Yesterday evening the report was again revived, and such I credence Hid it gain that hi one of the churches a senium was actually pn-ached on the subject The public mind is evidently iv a very excited state, and seeks relief from the present tension in reports of this kind. It is unfortunately the case that there is much to justify the public alarm. The agent-General of Vict.ria wires the Government in Melbourne that war is inevitable, and acting upon similar advice the Sydney Government are urging i»n defence work with the utmost possible expedition The Russian occupation of Penjdeh is no doubt an act of war, so far as that P»wer is concerned, and unless Russia is prepared to retire from that position, which it is evident fr.»m the tone of the last dispatch she is uot prtjpared to do. it will remain for England to force w-ir. Thut the hour is not ripe for England to do this may, we think, be taken as the meaning of ths telegram that " war is inevitable, though not immediate." Interpreting the situation in this ligh*-, and so leaving out oi account the probability of a Russiau surprise, the prospect of war loses not a little of ite terrors for us in the Colonies. If the declaration nf hostilities is to come from England, whether independently or as the ally <>f the Ameer, the Celonies wil! have timely notice, and although in anj case the hour cannot be long deferred, t< he forewarned is to be forearmed. In tht course of a week or ten days we shall hav< a fleet of tolerably efficient armed crimen in Australian waters, and our land de fences and torpedo service will be well ad vanced and many val able risks afloat wil have run to safety. The interval will bi no less iinpnrta-'t at Home, and as with thi boundless rusotuca uf Britain at Horn, aud abroad, t rer __l»vy's delay adds en ormously to Eiiglirft's power of offenct or defence, we can afford to view the possibility of even a great war with something of equanimity.

Information reached Reefton yesterday afternoon that a cattle drover in the employ of Mr G. Walker had Ween found dead on the Buller R«»ad . It appears that a traveller passing the Black win ter. noticed asaddled horse tied up on the roadside. The animal appeared to have been standins for some hours, and this arouting the suspicions of the traveller, he went into the bush close by and presently came across the dead body of a man. Information was conveyed to the nearest resident, when it turned out that the body was that of a stock driver named Watt. The body was removed Ut Walker's accommodation house, and awaits an inquest.

A circumstance happened in c«ntuecti>itt with the (.roceedinKS of the Tnangaltuii County Council on Wa-lnesday last which forcibly shows how disgracefully the public husiness of tha County is subordinated t<> private ends. Thi* ordinaiy meeting of the Council was fixed for 2.30 p.m. There was a large amount of important business to be dealt with, including the consideration of the tenders sent, iv for construction of mads, bridges etc. Four of the Councillors, namely Messrs Menteath, Irving, Campbell and Craig walked into the Chamber at 2.20 p.m. by the telegraph time, when they were coolly informed by the Clerk tbat the meeting had been adjourned for a week. The other four councillors with the Clerk and acting Chairman (?) were still sitting round the table, but upon the entry of the v Opposition " they imniediately rose from thuir seats, and were preparing to depart. Mr Menteath drew attention to the fact that the meeting was* convene 1 for 2.30 p.m., and that that hour had nut yet arrived. The actiug Chairman said Mr Mouteath's watch might be a very accommodating one. Mr Menuath said even by the Council clock It was only two minutes past tha time. All the Councillors ware now present, and he would certainly protest against the Council being treated in such a discorteous ano arbituary manner. The acting Chairman said the meeting was adjourned, and the Executive Committee would meet to deal with the business. Mr Menteath said it was a monstrous abuse of the pi imi tion, while all the Councillor y re in attendance, to relegate the business of the County to be dealt with by { three members (Messrs Williams, Twohill j and Irving). The acting Chairman with the Clerk and Messrs Lynch, (O \ M'Ginley and Twohill here left the table, se as to break off the proceedings, and put aa ' end to further discussion, the acting ' Chairman atinonncinir that the Execnti c Com mi it tee would now meet The atitttaing part of the proceeding here cemes in. The Executive Committee comprise* Messrs Williams, Twohill and Irving, three t .

form a quorum. Councillor Irving, however, very properly refused to lend himself to the disgraceful tactics resorted to, aad declined to attend the Executive meeting, which consequently could not . be held When it was found that the little move was checkmated, some of the defeated party conceived the brilliant idea ef calling the Council together again, the object being ne doubt toappeint another friendly member Iw a seat on the Executive so as ta make up a quorum, but this course was soon found to be impracticable, and so the nice little scheme was upset. The member for Hampden, who, we believe, ' receives something like £9 expanses for coming to Reefton, had therefore to return home, and will, of course, have to return again for Wednesday next, whea he will receive a further sum of f 9, out of the public purse. And this is a Council which everybody honors, but which a "wretched faction seeks to oppress." The Rev. Mr Spencer, the new incumbent of St. Stephen's Church, Reefton, held his inaugural services yrfsterday morning and evening, in the presence of large congregations. Remenyi, besides being a great fiddler, j is also a most pertinacious hunter after | curios. Short as his stay has been in New I Zealand he has already shipped to his ' agents in Sydnpy no less than forty-four j boxes of rarities gathered tocrmther from every nook and corner of tha Colony. His collection includes two complete skeletons of the moa, presented to him hv Professor I Von Haast, besides innumerable other specimens of the extinct fauna «f the Middle and North Islands, immense quantities of greenstone, kauri gum, Maori mats, and other native manufactures. He is a perfect hawk after indieinous precious stones, and his collection of rubies, garnets, zircons, sapphires and Canterbury diamonds is very rich. At Reefton Remenyi's weakness was quartz specimens, but owing to the shortness of his stay he i had no opportunity of gratifying it. After 1 the concert on Monday evening last he j was lamenting his hard fate to a few gentlemen at Dawson's Hotel. He had come, he said, te a place noted throughout the Colony for the richness of its quartz, and he was going away empty handed. Where were all the mine managers, big directors and lucky shareholders ? would

1 nobody hear his prayer, and he extended ' his hands to first one and then another. Fin--9 ally a bargain was struck. If he would bring ' down his violin and nlav a solo in tha 1 parlor he should have some specimens. "* In less than no time the instrument, wns ' produced, and with the door locked he 1 delighted his small audience of some half ■ dozen persons with Schubert's beautiful » ''Serenade." This over the coveted " specimens were produced, and they proved * to be remarkably good ones, requiring no 1 need of the magnifying glass which he 9 instantly produced from his pocket. Ths s old Maestro was se delighted that he itn- » mediately resumed his violin and • " struck up " again, and having charmed t his hearers with hife grand "Hymn «4t Liberty," the cherished Cremona was . carefully and lovingly wrapped in its silken swaddling clothe* and placed under lock and key, and after spending an hour or two in pleasant converse, Remeuyi and . his fiddle went to bed. Tendets for sinking winze for the | Tnkerman Company will close this evening, at 7 o'clock, at Mr Wise's office. The question of how much gold we have in the colony has been raised. We understand that at the four chief tows there are two millions of bullion. The fourth part 'if this would gives very considerable haul for any cruiser. In South Siberia there is an uncivilised race known as Bourats, who worship a human ijod. When their god reaches the a</« of Id they poison him, and chwose a iiihlh infant to be their t»od, who is Jtl-ewi*<* poisoned whou he reaches that a«/.\ A wedding tour round the world, and throughout the CoUnies, in among the si<,'im of tlio tim*»s. Viscount Lyiningten, tin* lifir tv the Eirl of Por'am-tuMi, is about to ntart on a tour of the Colonies i with his bride, having, anions bis objects, to make himself acquainted with the dependencies of the Empire. Fie visits first the West Indies proceeding thence to Canada, and via San Francisco to New Zealand, and through tb** Australian Colonies home. Upwards of ten years ago, when all New York was thronging to see the " Black Crook " at Ni'do's Garden, the premiere danseuse, Veuturelli by name, was the idol of the hour. Her grace and beauty were the theme of every tongue. Her photographic portrait was ia every window. More recently a withered and prematurely-old woman, ragged and destitute, was begging for bread in the streets of that city, and the other day she was committed to prison for. six months as an incorrigible vagrant. The friendless mendicant was the once fascina ting Veuturelli. Our readers (says the Furopean Mail) will reniKtti'ier the excellent effect produced when the Indian contingeet visited London at the end of the campaign in which they dore so couspicious a part. The suggestion ia now made that the plti I<y Colntitit* who have v«dtiut"«red to serve Lord Wolseley in the Soudon should be invited to pay a visit to the metropolis before returning te their colonial homes. ; The authorities, doubtless, already have this in view. Uuder any circumstances, those who at the end of their campaign shall have distinguished themselves in the field will most assuredly come here to be decorated, and it is not to be supposed that the opportunity will he lost of paying a compliment to tbe wlvdu contin- - gent. The Hon. MrStou* took the chair at one of Mr Gerald Massey's lasturss at

Wellington. The subject was "The Historical Jesus and the Mythical Christ." Mr Stout said he desired to explain his position. He ssid he was Presid nt of the Freethought Association in Dunsdin, and had held that position for many years. That Association did not oonsist of people who held one belief or one disbelief. They were people of various creeds, if he might so express it. It included Theists, Atheists, Pantheists, Deists, and Spiritualists. Their object was to allow a free platform to all who chose to discuss religious subjects, and oa one occassion addresses were delivered by two able members of the Society of Friends. Mr *tout concluded by saying : " Th*tt the record of the life of Christ was one which of all men had emulated His example it would be better for humanity to day." (Applause.) | Mr Ballance and Colonel Reader rej turned rather hurriedly from the South yesterday. Mr Ballance informs me there was no special reason for his hasty return, though he received a telegram requesting his immediate presence in Wellington, His Excellency the Gavr rnnr being anxieualy that the defence scheme should be more vigorously earned out, but owing to the absence of ths Minister from Wellington, the work was being delayed. Mr Ballance had only reached Timaru when he was recalled, and thus has been unable at present to finish his tour of the Middle Island and inspection of land lit fer special settlement. The Minister expresses great regret st thus having to f»rego for the present the opportunity of making himself acquainted with the country, as it will be almost impossible for him to make another visit to the Middle Island before the session. He has, however, left Mr M'Kerrow, the Surveyor General, in the South with instructions to obtain all information necessary to assist in propagating settlement under the special settlement scheme.